1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connector in which the operation force for assembling is reduced.
2. Related Art
Concerning the connector in which the operation force for assembling is reduced, there is provided a connector in which a manual operation lever is arranged so that its lever action (cam action) can be utilized. Further, there is provided a connector in which the operation force can be reduced without providing a manual operation member. An example of this connector is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,929. This connector is composed in such a manner that a female side housing is retractably accommodated in a holder, a base end of a lever is pivotally supported by the holder, and a cam groove at the middle position of the lever is engaged with a cam pin in the female side housing. When the holder is engaged with a male side housing, the lever is rotated when a forward end of the lever comes into contact with the male side housing. In this case, a contact point of the lever with the male side housing becomes a point of force, so that a lever action can be exerted. Therefore, even if an assembly operation force of the holder to the male side housing is low, the female side housing can be positively engaged with the male side housing.
In the above conventional connector, the lever is used which is an independent part used as a means for reducing an operation force. As a result, the number of parts is increased.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to reduce the number of parts.
The invention described in aspect 1 provides a connector comprising: a stationary side housing having a stationary side terminal metal fitting; a movable side housing having a movable side metal fitting capable of connecting with the stationary side terminal metal fitting; a holder capable of being assembled to the stationary side housing; and a guide means for displacing the movable side housing with respect to the holder in a direction oblique to the assembling direction between an initial position on the forward side of the assembling direction of the holder and a connecting position on the rear side in the assembling direction, wherein the movable side terminal metal fitting is disconnected from the stationary side terminal metal fitting in a direction perpendicular to the assembling direction at the initial position so that the connector can not be connected, and the movable side terminal metal fitting can be connected with the stationary side terminal metal fitting at the connecting position.
The invention described in aspect 2 provides a connector according to aspect 1 further comprising a holding means, which is arranged in the holder and the movable side housing, for holding the movable side housing at the initial position, the holding means being capable of being released from the holding condition when the holder comes into contact with the stationary side housing in the process of assembling the holder to the stationary side housing.
The invention described in aspect 3 provides a connector according to aspect 2, the holding means comprising: an elastic deflection piece arranged in one of the holder and the movable side housing, the elastic deflection piece exhibiting a holding function when it is engaged with the other of the holder and the movable side housing; and a releasing section, which is arranged in the stationary side housing, for elastically displacing the elastic deflection piece in the releasing direction when the releasing section comes into contact with the elastic deflection piece in the case where the movable side housing comes into contact with the stationary side housing and the more movement of the movable side housing in the assembling direction is restricted.
The invention described in aspect 4 provides a connector according to one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the stationary side housing is fixed to a stationary member, the holder is fixed to an attaching member attached to the stationary member in the same direction as the assembling direction to the stationary side housing, the guide means is composed of a cam groove formed in the holder and a cam pin formed in the movable side housing and engaged with the cam groove, the holder includes an idly engaging groove continued to an end portion of the cam groove at which the cam pin is located when the movable side housing reaches the connecting position, and the cam pin is engaged with the idly engaging groove under the condition that the holder is assembled to the stationary side housing.
The invention described in aspect 5 provides a connector according to one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the guide means is composed of a cam groove formed in the holder and a cam pin formed in the movable side housing and engaged with the cam groove, a plurality of cam grooves are provided in parallel to each other, and a plurality of cam pins are provided so that the plurality of cam pins can be engaged with the plurality of cam grooves.
The invention described in aspect 6 provides a connector according to aspect 5, wherein the plurality of cam grooves are obliquely arranged being shifted with respect to the assembling direction of the holder to the stationary side housing.
The present invention described in aspect 7 provides a connector according to one of aspects 1 to 6, further comprising an initial position returning means for preventing the movable side housing from separating from the stationary side housing when the movable side housing is located at a position on the connecting position side with respect to the initial position in the process in which the holder is disengaged from the stationary side housing, and for allowing the movable side housing to separate from the stationary side housing so that the movable side housing can be displaced while it follows the holder when the movable side housing reaches the initial position.
The present invention described in aspect 8 provides a connector according to aspect 7, the initial position returning means including a semi-lock means for preventing the movable side housing, which has returned to the initial position, from moving in the separating direction with respect to the stationary side housing, the preventing action being released when a predetermined separating force is given to the semi-lock means, wherein the holder and the movable side housing include an engaging means for engaging the movable side housing and the holder so that the movable side housing and the holder can be integrally displaced in the separating direction when the movable side housing returns to the initial position.
[Aspect 1]
When the holder is assembled to the stationary side housing under the condition that the movable side housing is set at the initial position, the movable side housing comes into contact with the stationary side housing in the process of assembly, so that the movable side housing can not be moved any more in the assembling direction. In this process, both the terminal metal fittings are kept in a non-engaging state. Therefore, no assembly resistance is caused by the friction between the terminal metal fittings. After that, when the assembling work proceeds, the movable side housing is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the assembling direction by the guide means, that is, the movable side housing is displaced to the connecting position, so that both the terminal metal fittings can be connected with each other. At this time, due to the friction caused between the terminal metal fittings, a resistant force is generated against the displacement of the movable side housing and the assembly of the holder. However, a cam action is exerted by the guide means which is arranged oblique to the assembling direction. Therefore, an intensity of the operation force in the assembling direction to be given to the holder may be low. According to the present invention, it is unnecessary to provide an independent manual operation member to be used as a means for reducing an intensity of the assembly force.
[Aspect 2]
When the holder is assembled to the stationary side housing, the movable side housing is held at the initial position by the holding means. Therefore, the cam action conducted by the guide means can be made effective, and an intensity of the assembly operation force can be positively reduced.
[Aspect 3]
The holding state in which the movable side housing is held by the elastic deflection piece can be positively released by the release section. Therefore, an engagement area of the elastic deflection piece can be extended, and the reliability of the holding function can be enhanced.
[Aspect 4]
Under the condition that the connection of the movable side terminal metal fitting with the stationary side terminal metal fitting is completed, even when a positional relation between the holder and the stationary side housing in the assembling direction fluctuates due to an error of assembly between the stationary member and the assembly member, the cam pin is kept in the idly engaging section. Therefore, a displacement in the direction perpendicular to the assembling direction of the movable side housing can be prevented, that is, a displacement from the connecting position to the initial position side can be prevented.
[Aspect 5]
A plurality of cam grooves are provided in parallel with each other. Accordingly, there is no possibility that the movable side housing is tilted with respect to the stationary side housing.
[Aspect 6]
The cam grooves are obliquely arranged in the assembling direction being shifted. Therefore, as compared with an arrangement in which the cam grooves are shifted in a direction parallel with the assembling direction or a direction perpendicular to the assembling direction, the posture of the housing can be effectively prevented from being tilted.
[Aspect 7]
In the process of disengaging the holder from the stationary side housing, in the beginning, the movable side housing, which is prevented from being disengaged from the stationary side housing by the initial position returning means, is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the disengaging direction from the connecting position to the initial position by the cam action of the guide means. After the movable side housing has been returned to the initial position, the movable side housing is displaced in the disengaging direction following the holder.
[Aspect 8]
Since the semi-lock means is provided, the movable side housing can be positively returned to the normal initial position. When a disengaging force is given from the holder to the movable side housing via the engaging means, the restriction to restrict an idle movement by the semi-lock means is released, and the movable side housing can be displaced in the disengaging direction following the holder. Therefore, no problems are caused in the disengaging motion of the holder.